"-Uh, yeah. It's a Hanging Monkey, they're one of the less weird things you can catch in the Reserve, just hanging from their trees most of the time, easy shot. I got hurt stumbling over some rocks and falling. It was a bit stupid of me really, we're not in huge danger of running out of food, but now that it's dead may as well make use of it, right? And, yeah, thanks."

She pokes his arm with a glowing finger. "There we go. What weirder things are there?"

"Oh, I don't think half of it even has names that aren't in latin. Pit Squid. Farmer Spiders. Temple-Beetles. Chimaera Birds. Chameleon Leapords."

"What are Farmer Spiders?"

"They run little farms of flies and things. Like the ants with the fungus. I read about it in school, I think."

"And they don't like steal people's eyeballs or anything." 

"Uh, not as far as I know. That's... Alarming, is that a Neath thing?"

"Yeah, Sorrow-Spiders do that. They lay eggs in them. They're a real problem but, also, they make amazing silk." Her hand idly strokes her silk dress. 

"Huh. I know silk clothes are ruinously expensive and mostly an old establishment thing, no Tackety would be caught dead wearing silk, so maybe they're not around anymore."

"Sounds reasonable. Surface silk is expensive in the Neath, because it's rare, and things like Parabola-Linen are expensive but don't signal affiliation with the establishment so much as personal power, possibly because there's so many damn factions." 

"I'm not sure if it's less... Factional around here. The Stovepipes are very aligned with the Establishment, if not quite the same thing. The Liberation of Night still gets up to things once in a while. It's pretty bad in Eleutheria, from what I hear. The Eagle, London's embassy, the Brazen Brigade, the Cypress King, the Heart-Catchers, the Gentlemen, the Caudecus devils, the rubberies, whatever the hell Piranesi is about, Midnight Tea, Winter's Reside... Glad I don't live there."

"Mm, yeah. Well, I'm sure there are expensive things that are and aren't aligned to any particular faction here." 

"Sure. Bronzewood, tea, munitions, and stained glass are pretty ubiquitous, I guess."

"Stained glass?"

"Oh, yes. Stained glass strips the light of the High Wilderness of most of its deranging properties. It's needed, especially when flying. Even bridge-glass has a subtle green cast to it, like thick old bottles. I'm a little worried how well we'll hold up out here, to be honest? It should be fine for a week or two if we watch each other and we're scrupulous about it afterwards."

"I'm pretty sure my light fixes it, I shone at a guy who was well raving and he was super coherent after."

"...I can see how that would make sense. It's two different kinds of light. I'd bet stained glass filters yours too."

"Hrm. Well, I can probably shine strongly enough to overcome that." 

He shrugs and stirs the pot of fruit, then goes back to skinning the Hanging Monkey.

She nods and goes to see if anyone else needs healing and how progress is going on repairs. 

It's less 'repairs' and more 'building a whole new engine from bits and pieces'. They have all the major machinery lined up in the right order, at least.

June is frowning. "I am beginning to have doubts about this plan... Might need more stuff. Bronzewood plating is well and good, using it for a skeleton is a bit iffier. I doubt you want to be a cargo-carrier for us, though."

"Honestly? Keep telling me things about how this place is different from the Neath and I don't, really, have better use for my time right now, I can't really try to do anything until I know what there is to be done."

"Would you be up for a trip to New Winchester then? Victory Hall is our place there, but the Stovepipes have Company House too. The Blue Kingdom Transit Relay is nearby as well, but... Anyone else and I'd say you really don't want to go there, but maybe you do, actually."

"Blue Kingdom Transit Relay?"

"The path to the Blue Kingdom. Domain of the Sapphir'd King. A Judgement. Shades of the dead all go there, and it's not a place to visit lightly. Not very welcoming to humans at all. I don't know much more about it."